Ask the Expert

For humans, a hug is nurturing and builds trust and a sense of safety. But your dog may not feel the same way. Leaning against or reaching around dogs can feel threatening to them, says Prof. Lee Niel, Col. K. L. Campbell Chair in Companion Animal Welfare at U of G’s Ontario Veterinary College. “What may be enjoyable for you may cause your pet stress,” she says.

Prof. Stephen Lewis, Department of Psychology, was 15 when he first self-injured by cutting himself. In a TEDx talk delivered earlier this year, Lewis describes how bullying led to a major depression and how over time he became suicidal.